


Floch's Regret

by Kumikoko



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, possible manga spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-03-29 07:39:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13922481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumikoko/pseuds/Kumikoko
Summary: It is no secret that Floch hates Armin, and blames him for the death of the Commander. However, no one thought that Floch's grudge would escalate into violence.





	1. Hate

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I did not mind that Floch was arguing for Erwin to live on the rooftop. Like, yeah, I wanted him to shut the fuck up, and keep his opinions to himself, but when he confronted Armin, that was where I drew the line. Floch had absolutely no right to tell Armin that he should have been the one to fucking die. You just don't tell that to people. People fucking kill themselves because of cruel words like that and Armin already has insecurities. It was so fucking cruel, and unwarranted. Armin had absolutely no choice in the debate over who lives and who dies. Armin himself would have chosen Erwin over himself. Levi was not pressured into choosing Armin either, by the way. Levi was going to bring Erwin back to life ONE because he was BIASED, he was motherfucking biased the SAME way Eren and Mikasa were biased towards Armin so it was so fucking unfair of everyone to judge Eren and Mikasa for being "biased". Hanji's stupid ass self was biased too but she had the nerve to act as if she was "just being objective" and that "life just isn't always fair." Yeah, it's soooo easy to say that when the man you respect is the one that is obviously going to be saved. Motherfuckers. And to punish them when they would have done the same damn thing. Ugh.
> 
> But let's get back to Floch. Yeah, maybe he has the right to have opinions...but he was absolutely bullying Armin and it was disgusting. What was more disgusting was that Eren did not defend Armin. Mikasa also just stood there and let Floch berate them all even though Floch has absolutely no idea of what the fuck he's talking about. If he's mad, he needs to yell at Levi because LEVI is the one who gave the injection to Armin. And ultimately, ERWIN decided that /he did not want to fucking live/ for maybe varying reasons. Erwin pushed the injection away. Levi RESPECTED Erwin's CHOICE and judgement (Emma Swan should take a hint from him) and he gave Armin the injection. Like fuck man. And don't get me started on the supposed fans of Attack on Titan who said Armin should of died. Like, there are people I don't like, but it is so cruel to wish death on to someone, especially innocent people. 
> 
> And now years later, Floch is a avid member of the Survey Corps??? He came to Marley? Liberio? Like, really? I really need a backstory on that because Floch doesn't like any of the survey corps members. He hates Armin and he hates Eren and Mikasa, all of who are 99% of the survey corps image and power. Without Erwin, one would have thought that Floch would have switched military branches but he's still around. So why. Levi made that fucking choice which means Floch /should/ hate Levi but he hates Armin? 
> 
> Yeah, Armin let Floch berate them because the poor kid has no self-esteem and thinks Floch is right but that's what makes the whole scene so much worse and that Eren NEVER punched Floch out. This shows that Eren isn't close to Armin anymore. Eren doesn't care. I dont' think there's anything more painful then that, really. But I had to figure out a way that Floch would still be on the survey corps members team and this is that story. 
> 
> So here we go. And yes, Floch is extremely capable of raping Armin. Go re-read his words if you don't believe me. The guy has no heart, no morals and any of you who like Floch obviously never read, nor understood the manga. He is a bad guy. I am writing EXACTLY what would have happened. It doesn't make /me/ the disgusting one, just in case anyone was wondering. I stand by my fanfic. I don't stand by bullies like Floch. Not in Anime, and not in real life. 
> 
> If you accidentally read this fanfiction because you ignored the warnings, and the couplings, that is unfortunate, but, I have warnings for a reason so please pay attention to the warnings!!!! Don't fault me. I did my part.
> 
> I do not own the Attack on Titan characters. If I did, Eren would have punched Floch out, and would have assured Armin that Floch was full of bullshit, like a best friend is supposed to do.

**Floch's Regret**

**Chapter 1: Burned By Hate**

_I shouldn’t have lived_.

That one haunting thought plagued Armin for weeks every time he collapsed on to the hard cot, exhausted, hurting, and miserably overwhelmed. Armin had thought that boot camp had been brutal, but nothing could have ever have prepared him for Hanji’s invasive, inappropriate, and downright painful experiments.

Ever since Armin had woken up from his near death experience, Hanji had been all but raped him—at least, he kept telling himself that but at this point, the experiments melded into his mind and morphed into one reoccurring nightmare. Armin didn’t know what to think any more, since most of the experiments made him feel uncomfortable, objectified, and violated all the same.

The only thing Armin did know is that he shouldn’t have fucking survived his standoff with the Colossus Titan. Armin had thought he was going to be flayed alive, and had entrusted Eren with his childhood dream. The thought of being flayed alive had been terrifying to Armin, but he swallowed his fears, and had sacrificed himself for the good of humanity, to give Eren the time he needed to recover, and fight back against the Colossus titan and win.

As Armin had laid dying, he never imagined that he would ever open his eyes again. He had thought that his miserable story had come to an end and that for once in his life, he might have been useful to Eren. At least, as his conscious thoughts began to fade away on that rooftop, Armin had hoped he had endured the steam long enough to give Eren the edge he needed in battle.

 _I’m so useless that I can’t even die right_. Armin told himself, as he thought back to the excruciating agony of having his flesh be seared off of his muscles. Armin tentatively touched the palm of his hand, and how much pain he had been in then, and yet the strength of his resolve hadn’t allowed him to let go, even when every primal instinct in him had screamed, begged, and demanded him to let go, Armin had stubbornly held on.

It had been the least he could do for everything Eren had ever done for him, and for the survey corps that had given him a home, and had allowed him to briefly explore the outside world. Armin had even childishly hoped his death would mean something to his fellow soldiers. And maybe his death would have meant something, if he hadn’t opened his eyes.

When Armin opened his eyes, the grim stares of everyone around him had told him that his plan had failed. Armin had not perished on that rooftop. He had lived, at the cost of the greatest mind that humanity had ever known.

Erwin Smith was dead because Armin Arlert was alive.

Some scrawny, useless orphan with no status, royalty, monetary, rank or otherwise was chosen to live over the most renown military commander of their world.

Why?

That was the question that seemed to be on everyone’s mind.

Only Armin understood the gravity of the choice that had been made for him. Armin _knew_ how useless he was, and how he couldn’t stand next to Erwin as an equal. Armin had aspired to be just like Erwin, and one day, he hoped to be half as good as him but without Erwin’s guidance, he knew that feat was impossible.

Everyone else knew it too. Armin would never be Erwin. 

Humanity was fucking doomed.  

 _And it’s all my fault_. Armin bemoaned, as he rolled on to his side and tugged the blanket over his head. The only thing he would ever be known for was destroying humanity because he lived when he shouldn’t have.

Floch had said it himself, that Armin should have fucking died, that he hadn’t deserved to live, and fuck, Armin knew Floch was right. Eren hadn’t even defended Armin, as if Eren agreed with Floch. Mikasa had stood silent too while Floch berated Armin, over something he couldn’t have controlled.

 _I didn’t ask to live_. Armin lamented to himself, as hot tears welled up into the corners of his eyes. He’d never express his doubts, and weakness to anyone, he was too prideful for that, but in the quiet of his own isolated bed, Armin allowed himself to feel everything he repressed from each individual, long days.

Days that consisted of Armin’s fellow soldiers jeering at him, whispering about him, and staring at him as if he personally killed Erwin. Their contempt was almost palpable, and it devoured what ever self-esteem Armin might have gained during his time in the survey corps. Some of the soldiers became embolden after Floch humiliated, and bullied Armin that day, and told Armin to his face exactly how they felt about him.

None of their remarks had been flattering, and had actually been just as cruel, if not more so than Floch’s own words. No one was scared of Armin, which made them more apt to poke at his sore spots. Armin clamped his mouth shut during these encounters, and endured them the way he endured everything else in his unfortunate life.

The only difference now was that Eren and Mikasa weren’t there to comfort, and reassure him that the cruel comments were not true. Armin hadn’t seen them a lot lately, and while he missed them, he felt it was better this way because he was sure that Eren and Mikasa must agree with everyone else, or at the very least, they regretted their choice to fight for him.

Either way, the pain of that was real, and splattered on to the pillow Armin rested his head against. Armin knew he wasn’t himself anymore. He was simply the reason why Erwin wasn’t alive anymore, and there couldn’t have been a worse feeling in the world for him to feel. Erwin had even been a sturdy, intelligent father figure to Armin, and now he was gone, buried in the ground somewhere.

There was no one who would understand what Armin was going through, let alone want to, so he suffered in silence and cried himself to sleep, plagued with regret, and self-loathing. It was the only time he could be himself because during the day, he had to be a soldier. And not just any soldier, but Erwin Smith.

What would Erwin do? What would Erwin say? How would Erwin act? Armin was pretty sure Erwin never cried, especially not since he joined the military, but wetting his pillow at night was the only way he could put a brave face on in the morning.

There were responsibilities he would not shirk just because hew as depressed, overwhelmed, and frustrated on the inside. The anger stemmed from childish notions that he hadn’t quite been able to abandon; _It’s not fair. I’m not him—I’m me. I’m not good enough_.

As soon as the sun rose, and roused Armin awake, he sighed, took a deep breath, and pulled his boots on. His internal struggles were his, and his alone to deal with, so he made himself presentable, and marched himself to Hanji who awaited him every morning, to poke him with more needles, and test his endurance he never knew he had. Half the time, Levi or another soldier rescued Armin from Hanji’s clutches, long enough for him to eat a meal that wasn’t always warm, nor filling.

When Hanji wasn’t torturing Armin, a commanding officer had menial tasks for him to perform, some of which involved exercising with the rest of the soldiers. Armin didn’t complain, and he wouldn’t ask for help.

It didn’t matter when Floch deliberately bumped into Armin just enough to knock him over, into the mud, nor when Jean looked the other way, pretending as if that hadn’t just happened. Armin picked himself up, and resumed the training exercises, brushing the incident off. Floch was only one of the soldiers who had taken to bullying Armin, though he had been the most hands-on about the abuse.

Lately, the physical abuse had been escalating—no one would ever really find out though, since Armin’s newfound titan abilities healed, and glossed over the evidence. That should have scared Armin. It didn’t.

So when Floch confronted Armin this rainy afternoon, Armin didn’t think twice when he was shoved into a dark closet. Floch could lock him in there, and while Armin knew the dark would momentarily scare the shit out of him, he knew he could break the door down and escape that way when Floch left. But Floch didn’t shut Armin into the broom closet, as Armin had expected he would. Instead, Floch stepped into the closet after Armin, and shut the door behind him.

Darkness surrounded them. Armin couldn’t see anything, which meant Floch couldn’t see either, but sight wasn't needed for what Floch had in mind.

“I am going to show you just how weak you are.” Floch said, and began to grab at Armin. Armin gasped at the hands pawing at him, and tried to jerk away, but he only bumped into hard shelves, and cleaning utensils. A jar was knocked over, and crashed onto the ground with a loud shatter. 

“Argh!" Armin groaned with frustration. There were so many people who wanted to remind him of the fact that they would have preferred Erwin to live. Floch was the main instigator of this. "I already know I am weak.” Armin stressed, while apprehension began to squirm its way into his heart. The fact that he couldn’t see was unnerving him, and was sending his heart into a panicked frenzy as Floch continued to grab at him. Armin didn’t know what Floch had in mind for him, but he didn’t want to find out so when he felt himself be pulled forwards, his body reacted reflexively and shoved at Floch.

“You will never be Erwin.” Floch stated cruelly, and pressed Armin against the corner of the wall. The nearby shelf that scraped against Armin’s arm alerted him to his position in the corner. Armin felt trapped, and tried to stretch his arms out.One hand hit the wall, while the other hand knocked something else off of a shelf that clattered on to the ground. In this time, Floch had palmed Armin’s body enough to know his general position, and tugged his pants off.

“Wha-what are you doing!?” Armin shrieked with alarm, beginning to panic as he thrashed against Floch in an attempt to escape. Did Floch want to strip him, and steal his clothes to humiliate him? Armin didn’t know, but he had a bad feeling that he was about to find out whether he wanted to or not. 

Floch clapped a hand over Armin’s mouth, and pressed up against him. “I’m going to show you what happens to pretty, weak boys in the military.” Floch sneered, taking a moment to pump his own cock to hardness.

Armin’s blue eyes widened with fear, having heard those same words before, then made as a rape joke by an inappropriate soldier. He heard the distinct noise of a boy jerking himself and knew then what was about to happen to him. 

Of course rape had been whispered about, and even joked about amongst the trainees. Everyone was scared to drop the soap after all. Armin particularly had had a habit of showering at odd hours to avoid as many people as possible, and had held the soap with great care, just in case there was any truth to the warning. Especially because his friends had all teased him about how pretty and slender he was, especially Jean. They had all been concerned Armin would be bent over a desk one day—possibly by themselves! Armin never had found their jeers to be funny.

All of their teasing, and warnings replayed in Armin’s head as he heard the iconic sound of a man jerking his own flesh, quicker, faster. Armin yelled into the hand, and thrashed, but Floch’s tall, sturdy body prevented Armin from escaping as effectively as the walls, and shelves did. Armin tried to rely on his military training to throw Floch off of him, or to kick him, but neither attempt was successful. All Armin could do was to merely squirm against the bully that so many people shockingly related to. 

Once, Eren and Mikasa had known Armin’s schedule and would have noticed instantly if he was missing from his post. Even Jean had had some idea of Armin’s schedule. But ever since Armin became the Colossus Titan, his schedule was unbeknownst to even him more often then not. None of his friends knew where he should, or shouldn’t be which meant they would have no idea he was in trouble.

 _Would they even care_? Armin wondered, stilling as that thought hit him like a slap in the face. _Eren’s always running off and leaving me behind, and Mikasa is constantly pursuing him. They always tried to protect me, but in the end, I’m the one who had to learn how to deal with pain. I’ll endure this without them, and win in my own way_. Armin told himself in an attempt to calm his own racing heart. There was no way for him to free himself, and he doubted if anyone cared enough to notice he was gone, let alone try to rescue him. Armin stopped fighting, figuring struggling against Floch would only encourage him to hurt him more then he already planned to. 

“Fuck, aren’t you going to fight me? Or do you like it up the ass? Yeah, I bet you do. There’s no other reason the Commander would have kept you around.” Floch berated Armin, as he lifted one of Armin's legs to keep him off balance and docile, and then thrust his cock into Armin's defenseless hole, penetrating him deeply. Armin’s entire body tensed, and he grit his teeth against the pain racing up his spine while he involuntarily screamed into the hand.

 _I won’t cry_. Armin swore to himself, even as hot tears stung the corners of his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, and clenched his hands into fists as Floch began to fuck him. Armin hated the overpowering feeling of being weak. He knew that he could fight, but that it wouldn't matter even if he did. Floch was younger than him, but Armin knew Floch was physically stronger than him. Floch did manage to carry the Commander off of the battlefield and up to the rooftop. Armin knew he never would have been able to do the same. 

Apart from the obvious difference of physical prowess, Floch was taller, and wider then he, and being that he was wedged into a corner of a tiny closet, Armin knew he couldn't skirt around Floch, so why bother? Floch was a bully, and Armin knew bullies well because they had preyed on him since he was small. Bullies were full of testosterone, something Armin seemed to lack most days, and they were irrationally violent. They would not stop until they were done, and their point was received. Armin had never shied away from the local village bullies and he wouldn't shy away from Floch now. Floch wanted to hurt Armin, to lash out at him. Armin knew how to endure pain. That was one thing he was confident about.

So as much as the dry rape hurt, the pain was concentrated, and limited to his butt and his pride. _I can endure this. It’s not like the heat from the Colossus titan_. Armin realized, and felt some of his fear dwindle away since nothing could hurt more than having his skin flayed from hot steam. Floch could do his worst-punching, kicking, shoving,  _raping_. None of it would cripple Armin. Yeah, it hurt, it fucking hurt. Armin couldn't repress his pained noises, and panicked breaths. What he could repress was his tears. He wouldn't give Floch the satisfaction of feeling his tears on his hands, nor of hearing the pleas and protests he voiced in his head.

“It’s all your fault that the Commander is…dead, and that humanity is…doomed.” Floch accused, the contempt in his tone was almost palpable. “You’re never…even going to amount to anything…you’re just good for a quick fuck, unlike the Commander who never would have allowed this to happen to him.” Floch’s cruel words pierced through the last vestiges of Armin’s already shattered confidence and embedded themselves into his mind.

It was awful that Floch was right about everything. Armin would never be Erwin. Erwin was intelligent, and strong in ways Armin never could be no matter how hard he tried. And Erwin never would have been bent over a desk and fucked, nor would he have been pushed into a dark closet, overpowered, and promptly raped. All Armin could do against the harrowing sexual assault was not cry. So he didn’t cry, even when Floch quickened his pace, and grunted in ecstasy. Armin shuddered with disgust, feeling a warm, sticky fluid enter his ravaged anal cavity.

That was when the door was kicked open, and a candle illuminated the crime.

Against Armin, hot and sweaty, Floch panted, and reveled in the euphoria he felt from his orgasm. Armin’s face was flushed and moist, but devoid of tears, much to his own relief. Their pants were around their ankles and the little blonde was cornered. From a first glance, it appeared as if the boys were shacking up in the dark closet, as some boys were known to do to alleviate pent up sexual tension.

But everyone knew how much Floch hated Armin, and how withdrawn Armin had become from his own soldiers. Even if Armin hadn’t had a trail of blood trickling down his thighs, people would still have come to the conclusion that Floch was raping Armin.

“Get the fuck off of him.” Levi snarled in a low, dangerous tone that startled both boys. Floch and Armin paled with horror that they had been caught in a dark closet together by humanity's strongest.

Floch pulled away from Armin as he fixed his pants, and began to sputter. "He-he fucking asked for it! He didn't even fight me, that's how weak he is." 

Armin tugged his own pants on, and kept his head low, to hide some of the humiliation festering inside of him. Floch was right that he never fought against him. _Now the Captain knows how weak I am. He’s going to kick me out of the military. I’ll never see my friends again, I’m gonna be homeless and_ —Armin’s fearful, irrational, panicked thoughts were interrupted by Floch’s alarmed yelling. Armin jerked his head up to see Floch being dragged out of the closet by one pissed off Captain who hadn't said shit in response to Floch's accusation.

“Arlert, wait for me in my office. That’s an order.” Levi commanded, without looking back at the wounded soldier. “And don’t write shit about this yet.” Levi added as an afterthought, since he knew Armin was one of the soldiers who was designated to report on everything that happened around him. He couldn’t have a rape victim write about his own horrible experience.

“Y-yes Sir.” Armin stuttered, and reluctantly followed the Captain’s orders.

“And you, you’re coming with me.” Levi affirmed, and dragged Floch down the hallway with him.


	2. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi believes in "an eye for an eye".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Floch gets what he damn well deserves. 
> 
> Levi might talk too much.
> 
> Sorry. Not sorry. 
> 
> Comment if you wish to.

**Floch's Regret**

**Chapter 2: Revenge**

Floch had been the top of his class—he had had the most potential out of any of those recruits and yet, Levi felt as if accepting him into their ranks had been a fucking mistake. The fucker was bright, agile, and physically capable. These had been attractive, promising qualities, and now Levi just felt sick over it.

A young man who abused his physical prowess, and who ignored his conscious was one who belonged in the slums of the underground—not the goddamn military. Floch was aware that sex between soldiers, even those of the same rank was prohibited—and he definitely knew that rape was forbidden, let alone sodomy.

Fuck, if someone like Jean had raped Armin, Levi could have blamed Jean’s gross testosterone, and cowardice. Jean’s behavior could have been written off as a gruesome incident of bullying of which was unfortunately common within the military. Floch, however, had ass-raped Armin with a cold, calculating nature that Levi wouldn’t excuse. It was the type of behavior indicative of those who were raised in the slums…and yet, Floch was some spoiled, rich boy who had a flare for flirting with danger just to piss Daddy off. Some Yuppie kid who had no conscious, and no care for the weak.

Back then on the rooftop, Floch had proclaimed to want to save everyone by reviving Erwin, and yet, he did not seem to realize that “everyone” included Armin. Armin was part of the whole, and yet, Floch targeted him for all of the wrong reasons—not that there was a right reason. Armin had never wronged Floch, and yet, Floch was convinced that Armin had personally wronged him by being the one who woke up. That was the trait of a psychopath—one who could not see reason, one who ignored the bigger picture and made innocent people their enemy.

It was a sign of cowardice as well—if Floch had had such a fucking problem that Armin had lived, he should have voiced his opinions to Levi. But, instead of confronting Levi, Floch cowardly confronted, cornered, and berated Armin, not once, not twice, but multiple times since Armin woke up. Levi was done with that shit. If Armin was not going to stand up for himself, even when a fellow man was shoving his cock up his ass, Levi would do what he should have done the first day Floch spouted off his bullshit to Armin.

Similarly, Floch was still preaching his bullshit and it was giving Levi a fucking headache.

“I didn’t do anything that he didn’t deserve!” Floch screeched for the umpteenth time, defending his position as he was dragged through he hallway by Levi who had a crushing grip on his ear. “Weak men like him who take it up the ass should never be in the military—you _know_ he only he only wormed his way into the great survey corps by letting high ranking military officials fuck him over a desk! He’s not good for anything else—everyone knows it!” Floch insisted defensively, stumbling after Levi whose quick pace made it hard for him to keep up with.

This was the same slander that Floch had been spewing since that day about Armin—Levi had heard the hushed whispers, and low voices of others who had been swayed by Floch’s awful characterization of Armin. The popular idea amongst the new recruits towards Armin all stemmed from Floch, and consisted of belittling defamation.

The insidious, pervasive idea that Armin was a common whore, and or a cock-slut made Levi’s blood boil with furious anger. Maybe Levi had become biased over the years, or maybe he had gone soft, but fuck, whenever Armin spoke about that stupid ocean, Levi was reminded that the world was beautiful, as it was cruel. That childlike innocence Armin had was precious, and was too rare a find to be tainted so fuck Floch for making Armin’s eyes dull like that. Fuck him.

Fuck him who that day had done absolutely nothing, while hundreds of people fucking perished around him. Floch had done nothing extraordinary, he had simply followed orders and had been just clever and strong enough to haul Erwin up on to the roof. Armin had fucking sacrificed himself for the greater good, and Eren had exhausted himself in a fight and had given his all, even knowing his best friend would die. What the fuck was Floch doing the entire time? What had he done that was so fucking special, or good that gave him the fucking right to bad-mouth the survivors? Levi hadn’t voiced any of his thoughts, and now he knew he should have.

“Aren’t you going to say something!?” Floch prompted, since Levi had not responded to any of his accusations, nor defensive arguments. The silence was making Floch feel as if _he_ had done something wrong. He felt the anger rise within him as he realized that Levi must not agree with him—that he was about to be punished like Eren and Mikasa had been for their disobedience. Only, Floch believed that they had gotten what they had deserved, but he did not believe that he had anything wrong. As far as Floch was concerned, the weak always got exactly what they deserved. “Fuck! You know he deserved it. If not for him, the Commander—”

_SLAM_!

Floch did not know what had happened until he was already on the carpet of Erwin’s old office, and was wracked with pain and shaking from shock. He saw Levi panting in the hallway, his face contorted in fury. Floch looked down, and saw the door underneath him. Alarm flooded through Floch as he realized, maybe for the first time, how strong Levi really was, despite his lack of height.

_He…he threw me against the shut door with enough strength that the door was knocked off of its hinges_!? Floch realized, and tried to push himself up so he wouldn’t feel so small before humanity’s strongest. A crippling pain seared through his right arm—the one that was smashed against the door, and his own body during the throw. Floch gasped with pain and crumpled back to the ground.

“Do not talk about him.” Levi warned dangerously, with a dark expression on his face that caused Floch feel dread surge through him. “I am only going to say this once, so you better fucking listen to me and you listen good.” Levi growled as he approached Floch, who began to hastily scramble backwards. “Erwin _wanted_ me to _save_ Arlert’s life.”

“What?” Floch gasped with disbelief, as he stopped in his retreat. “Why?!” Floch demanded to know, becoming emboldened by anger, and the resentment he had towards Armin. He could not understand why Erwin would want Levi to save Armin’s life. “Arlert is weak, and useless. He’s never even killed a titan before—he’s always just on the sidelines, with half-cocked plans!”

“Exactly.” Levi exclaimed, clenching his trembling hands into fists of fury. “Erwin was ruthless because he had to be—but he was still a fucking man at heart—something you would know if you idolized him as much as you proclaim to.” Levi said, as he grabbed Floch by the front of his shirt, and hauled him up in one swift, effortless motion. “Erwin wanted me to save Arlert’s life _because_ he could not stand to see one more child soldier die uselessly because of one of his plans. He knew more than anyone else that Arlert’s strengths are subtle, and are definitive by his mind—something they shared in common. Their brain is their strength, and Erwin trusted in Arlert’s mind enough to pass the torch to him. So kicking Arlert while he’s down is offensive to my sensibilities because you’re essentially telling me point-blank that Erwin made the wrong choice and I do not fucking appreciate that.” Levi explained, the anger clear in his tone.

For once in his life, Floch shut the fuck up.

“If you had a problem with one of Arlert’s half-cocked plans, you should have offered one of your own plans up. If you have no plans of your own, you need to shut the fuck up and leave him the fuck alone and respect his plans. You’re a soldier. You take orders. He thinks. He plans. Just like Erwin, you need to respect that damn brat because while you were playing soldier out on that field, he was fucking sacrificing himself to the good of humanity—a sacrifice that more then likely would have been in vain, something he damn well knew and was doing anyways. His skin was seared off of his body—or was I the only one who fucking saw his burned muscles? You were there. Have you no goddamn sympathy!?” Levi ranted, expressing his own pent-up dislike for Floch’s superiority complex. Floch had been so self-assured that he could judge others, but had forgotten to judge himself first.

What a self-righteous prick.

In the face of the truth, all Floch could do is stare at Levi. Levi who had been Erwin’s right hand man was defending the choice he made. Floch had not realized that Levi cared about that fucking mushroom headed kid.

“The strong protect the weak—Erwin taught me that. Arlert is clever, and earned his spot next to Erwin. Erwin recognized his budding intelligence. For how smart you are, you should have seen it too but you’re just looking for someone to blame, and bully. I will not let that happen anymore.” Levi declared, and shoved Floch against the desk. Floch gasped with surprise, and paled as he realized Levi was about to teach him a lesson that he would not soon forget.

“No—wait—” Floch began hastily, but his plea only enraged Levi more, and resulted in Levi flipping Floch over, on to his stomach. 

“Since you’re so concerned with strength, I’ll show you how powerless you made Arlert feel.” Levi stated, placing a hand on top of Floch’s neck, to prevent him from pushing himself up. It was something Levi had witnessed during his days in the Underground—it was the most effective way to pin someone down, and render them powerless. Levi then, as Floch struggled and thrashed underneath him, yanked his pants down.

“Stop—stop, I am not a bitch! I’ve—I’ve trained too hard and for too long for this to happen to _me_! I—I am strong!” Floch protested angrily, as he tried in vain to push himself up. Those long hours of boot camp, daily training, and work out practice on his days off amounted to nothing as long as Levi’s hand was pressing against the back of his throat.

This pathetic, indignant swine of a cow thought he was too strong to be fucked over a desk. Levi was going to show him that even the strong could be hurt just as easily as the weak could be hurt.  

“Shut the fuck up. Arlert went through the same training you did and while he might not have excelled, he endured all the same, and became strong. I am damn sure he never wanted to be a bitch either but you forced him into that position. You didn’t even give him a voice.” Levi snarled, and began to pump himself quickly, wanting to teach Floch a lesson and be done with it. He knew he could beat Floch up, but he wanted Floch to know exactly how Armin must have felt.

Maybe that was a fault of how Levi grew up—an eye for an eye—that was the code Levi had lived by in the Underground for years. Erwin had taught Levi to almost trust in the judicial system—but Levi had the suspicion that Armin wouldn’t want anyone to find out about this incident and while all violence was to be reported to the proper authorities, some crimes were swept under the rug. This would be one of them.

“Come on, this is bullshit! Let me go!” Floch raged, straining to push himself up—or flip himself over and on to the ground—anything, anything that would free him. Levi’s hold was firm, which prevented Floch from going anywhere. “I don’t want this! I—I’m not even gay!” Floch pressed, wiggling his hips, just like Armin had. It was the only thing he had been able to do, and now Floch was in a similar position.

“Here’s the irony—I don’t give a flying fuck as to what you want the same way you didn’t care if Arlert was even gay.” Levi snapped, and smashed his hips against Floch’s hips. Floch screamed.

“Ahh! Fuck! Fuck—stop—stop! Augh!” Floch yelled, wrought with agony as Levi’s cock penetrated his asshole. Levi smirked cruelly, and drove himself deeper into Floch’s straining, quivering body. Floch was fucking tight—Armin must have been tight too. That thought encouraged Levi to forcibly bury himself into Floch’s body.

“Tell me. Were you turned on when he screamed? Or were you turned on when he was underneath you, squirming, and grunting in pain?” Levi wondered, as he dug his nails into Floch’s skin, hard enough to break the skin. Floch groaned underneath him and grit his teeth, determined to not cry. Levi huffed irritably at Floch’s defiance, and began to ground his hips against his with force.

“Auck!” Floch exclaimed with pain, and dug his own nails into the wood of the desk. “Th-the power. I was t-turned on b-by the p-p-power…a-and the blood…” Floch relented, as if his confession would alleviate the pain he was in. Levi stopped abruptly, momentarily shocked, and appalled that blood in any context would turn someone on.

At present, Levi thought the blood staining his cock was disgusting—it almost made Levi want to abandon his quest for vengeance. Levi was no stranger to blood—one of Levi’s first memories was that of his own hands being covered in the blood of another. And in war, soldiers bled all of the time. Yet…Floch got off on blood? Armin’s blood?

“You felt fucking accomplished when Arlert bled on your dick?” Levi rephrased, appalled at the mere thought of blood—and that anyone might get off on Armin’s blood. Armin was a goddamn innocent.

Mostly.

Even though Armin had murdered some bitch to save Jean’s life, Armin was still the purest damn soul in the military. Levi had known that all along, and now he regretted leaving Armin to fend for himself. He should have known better. Those sweet souls weren’t fighters—they all needed to be protected because otherwise Floch’s would flock to peck at them with their long sticks.

“YES! Yes, okay, yes! I fucking liked it! I felt fucking accomplished! Because I thought he fucking deserved it. He’s a fucking bitch—I wanted to treat him like the—augh—bitch he is—fuck him, make him bleed…its all his fault people are dying w-without the Commander…” Floch admitted with frustration as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. The dry burn was unimaginable. He wanted it to end. It didn’t.

“It’s _my_ fault! _I_ chose to revive Armin—” Levi began, not realizing he personalizing Armin—“I could have forced the injection onto Erwin. I chose to respect his choice. You need to fucking respect his choice too and get it out of your head that Armin is to blame. Armin had no fucking choice.” Levi asserted, and resumed thrusting into Floch. Floch cried out in pain, and clawed at the desk.

“Augh!” Floch exclaimed, groaning in agony as his insides were rubbed raw from the dry friction—Armin must have felt it too. Armin, who according to Levi, was innocent. Levi kept insisting that Floch had it all wrong. Armin was innocent. Floch briefly wondered if Levi was right, but another hard thrust sent Floch reeling and spinning with hurt.

There was no reprieve from the pain either—Levi, like Floch, used his cock as a weapon. The only difference was that Floch deserved to be fucked up his ass, for doing the same thing to a innocent boy. Floch was starting to realize that too, but that didn’t make him any more accepting of his punishment. Floch still thought it was unfair—he was too strong for this—and yet, it was happening to him anyways. And it hurt. It hurt more when Levi ejaculated into him. Levi panted for a few minutes, and then pulled away.

As Levi cleaned himself off, he spoke, “From now on, you will dutifully serve Armin. If he wants for water, you will fetch water for him and if it is poisoned, I will personally shove a hot metal rod up your motherfucking ass. Is that clear?” Levi stated, while he fixed his pants. Floch trembled on the desk, and hastily rubbed his tears off of his face with the back of his hand. Levi almost pointed out that Armin had not cried, but figured by Floch’s humiliated expression, he was already well aware of that.

“Wh-what…?” Floch asked, through his harsh breaths, as he shakily tugged his pants up.

“You are going to be Armin’s bitch and Sina help you if you ever lay a hand or unkind word on to him. I don’t care if he’s being a bitch about something, you’re going to bend to his every fucking whim and protect him from your kind. On the battlefield, you’ll give your life for him because if you don’t, I’ll run you through myself.” Levi explained, since Floch obviously hadn’t quite understood it the first time.

“Y-you want me to be his f-fucking slave!?” Floch exclaimed with outrage, as he whipped around to face Levi.

“I am ordering you to be his fucking slave. If he wants his damn feet rubbed at night, you’re going to massage his sweaty feet. You’re going to be his damn shadow.” Levi assured, smoothing his own clothes out.

“O-ordering!?” Floch gasped, appalled at the abuse of power Levi was flaunting so shamelessly.

“Did I fucking stutter?” Levi warned, cutting Floch with a sharp look. Floch flinched back and began to sputter uselessly. “Tomorrow, you’re going to let Armin fuck you if he so wishes.” Levi told him, and headed for the door.

"B-but..." Floch tried to argue, but when he heard how small his voice sounded, he shut up and watched Levi open the door to leave.

Levi slammed the door behind him.


	3. Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi comforts Armin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled to write this, although I think the end result is great. 
> 
> Comment if you want to.
> 
> Anyone else read doujinshi's? Just curious.

**Floch's Regret**

**Chapter 3: Fault**

Armin sat stiffly on the couch, with his trembling fists on his knees. His eyes were hidden behind his messy, yellow hair, but the deep, downward curve of his lips informed Levi that he was not happy. The way his shoulders were turned inward, hunched towards himself, told Levi that Armin was withdrawn. That was to be expected, since Armin had been raped an hour ago. Levi rubbed the side of his own head as an awkward gesture. He had not intended to make Armin wait so long, but he had gotten a bit carried away with how he had chosen to punish Floch who had assaulted Armin sexually.

A soft, frustrated sigh left his lips. He didn’t know how to go about this conversation with the finesse that was socially required. Levi tried to ponder for the hundredth time exactly how Erwin would have handled this situation—even though he already knew the answer because he had witnessed Erwin console a female rape victim before. No. Survivor. That was the term Erwin had used. Levi closed his eyes momentarily, and tried to figure out how he could make Erwin’s words his own.

Something—experience—intuition—told Levi that using the same exact words as Erwin might not have the same effect on Armin because while rape was rape, the surrounding causes were completely different, which meant that the concise rhetoric needed to be adjusted towards Armin’s situation, and sensibilities. But fuck, Levi had never had a way with words the way Erwin had had. This was why Levi was sure that Armin was going to cry. Levi didn’t know when, but the tears were sure to come, because no mater how hard he tried to be sensitive, he was sure that he would say something the little blonde wouldn’t like.

“What happened was not your fault.” Levi stated, standing before Armin, who had not looked up once since his Captain entered the room a couple of minutes ago. Armin did not respond. “You do know that, right?” Levi goaded, as unfamiliar concern reflected in his dark eyes for the young cadet who he had indirectly known for the last few years. Armin withheld speech, and ducked his head further, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

_Damn it_. Levi cursed internally, knowing this would be a long fucking night. Armin obviously believed that he was to blame for the rape, which was a common victim mentality Levi had experience with from the Underground. Erwin had once explained to Levi that he had a theory as to why victims blamed themselves. The theory was that if the victim could convince themselves that they were at fault, they wouldn’t then have to deal with the realization, or knowledge, that some people were just cruel.

That the truth was too terrifying to acknowledge.

It was, however, just a theory.

But no matter how scary the truth was, Armin would have to come to accept that someone had victimized him out of the cruelty of their heart. Armin who as long as Levi had known him, had been a _damoiseau in distress._

From the very first moment Levi had met Armin, he was saving his life. Armin had been trying to pull Eren out of his titan and had given up in favor of hugging on to him as titans advanced on them. Levi had slain the titans, and that was just the first time that Armin had needed help. The next time Armin had needed distinct help was when he was flipping out about murdering some bitch. Levi had a few choice words for Armin then, to help him through his guilt. Then when Erwin was imprisoned, and Eren had been kidnapped, Levi had worked closely alongside Armin, trusting the child’s young, clever brain to help them all through that difficult, dark time of their lives.

One moment stood out above the rest, and that was when Levi gave the rejuvenating titan juice to Armin, instead of Erwin. Levi had swooped in as a hero, and had somehow became the little blonde’s personal guardian angel. Not that Levi believed in angels, but, he was realizing the role he had been playing in Armin’s life.

Today had been no different.

Yet again, Levi had rescued Armin from a predator and now he noticed that he needed to save Armin from himself.

“What happened to you is my fault.” Levi declared grimly, knowing he should have shut Floch up the first time he confronted Armin with wild accusations and passionate hate. He should have intervened—he was there, listening, and at the time, he had been mildly impressed that Eren had kept his cool during the confrontation.

Thinking back on it, Levi realized Eren sure had shitty timing to express newfound maturity. _I’ll punch his stupid ass for being a shitty friend_. Levi told himself, since Eren was partially at fault as well, since if he too had punched Floch out like a real friend would have done, Floch might have backed down.

No one had came to Armin’s defense, and there had been no consequences for Floch’s abrasive behavior. It only made sense then that Floch’s immoral behavior would escalate. It was an oversight on Levi’s part, one that caused Armin to suffer through another harrowing crime.

Armin lifted his head up to stare at Levi with wide, skeptical, eyes that were swollen, and moist from tears. Now Levi understood why Armin had been hiding his face. As a young man, and a soldier, Armin probably did not want another man, let alone any high ranking military official like Levi seeing his shame.

“You were not there.” Armin said, furrowing his eyebrows together to express his confusion towards Levi’s statement. He did not understand how Levi could construe what happened in the closet as being his fault.

“Exactly. As your Captain—”

“Mine?” Armin parroted questioningly, appearing to mentally stumble over Levi’s poor choice of words. Levi sucked in an irritated breath and looked to the ceiling, choosing to ignore Armin’s deflection tactic.

“Okay, Smartass. Let me reword that. As the Captain of the Survey Corps, it is my duty to protect the soldiers underneath me as much as I can from foreign, _and_ domestic entities.” Levi relayed hastily, to get his point across.

“And?” Armin baited, already knowing what role Levi was supposed to play as the Captain of the Survey Corps. Levi recognized bait when it was presented to him, so instead of biting down on it, he merely pursed his lips and glared at Armin with disapproval. Armin looked down, quieting.

“I know what he said to you that day when he confronted you.” Levi mentioned, and saw Armin stiffen. That was the response he was aiming for because now Levi knew that Armin was listening to him.

“Y-you…heard all that…?” Armin queried, as shame colored his cheeks pink.

“It was hard not to. Floch wanted an audience, and he got one. The problem is, is that he got away with bullying you in front of everyone. That embolden him to hurt you.” Levi responded, while Armin began to shift uncomfortably on the couch. He turned his head to the window, and began to nervously pick at his wrinkled shirt. Levi noticed the wrinkles which were evidence to the rape Armin suffered—endured—because Armin’s clothes were normally well-ironed and put together.

A few tears, sew-overs, wrinkles, and stains were common amongst the soldiers. Armin, however, had always been conscious as to how to properly present himself to a commanding officer. A well-ironed outfit, and brushed hair had went a long way to remind Levi that not all of the brats were hopeless. Armin cared enough about his professional appearance to maintain it, keep quiet, and follow protocols and orders.

Yeah, Levi was liking Armin the more he thought about him, and made connections he had realized before, but had not dwelled on until now. Armin had not even cried during the rape—his dry cheeks at the time had proved that—but of course he had not cried. Armin was prideful, and resilient. He would be okay, the same way Erwin was always okay, even when he wasn’t. The two were two peas in a pod. If Erwin had been a less honorable man, Levi would have swore that Armin was his illegitimate son.

“R-right…c-can I just go shower? I…waited here like you wanted me to…” Armin requested tentatively, staring out the window at nothing in particular to avoid Levi’s concerned gaze. “A-and I’m fine…” Armin lied shakily, while he pushed some of his messy hair behind his ear.   

“In a minute. You need to listen to what I am telling you, if not as your Captain, then, fuck, as another…” Levi paused, and racked his brain for a proper terminology. Armin glanced curiously at him. “…Man. Listen to another man.” Levi decided, settling on ‘man’ as the terminology he wanted to use to humanize himself to Armin as someone more then just his Captain.

“What is there to say?” Armin wondered, frowning with uncertainty as he clasped his hands together against his lap. Levi repressed the sudden urge to yell at Armin for being difficult because Erwin never would have lost his temper with an injured soldier.  Levi took a minute to remind himself of Erwin’s serene grace, and hoped he could get through this conversation without raising his voice.

“Floch raped you.” Levi stated, and watched Armin’s face scrunch up with confusion. “Floch raped you.” Levi repeated deliberately, and as he expected, Armin clasped his hands over his ears and hunched over.

“Stop.” Armin whispered desperately, wanting to recoil from the harsh truth. He could feel his armor cracking, and wanted nothing more than to fall to pieces somewhere devoid of people. If Levi saw him cry, Armin was not sure he could live with himself because he was already aware of the irony that was his life.

Humanity’s strongest chain was always rescuing humanity’s weakest link.

“It is not your fault.” Levi said as he knelt down on one knee in front of Armin, who fervently shook his head left, and then right in quick, hasty movements. Levi grabbed Armin’s chin, and lifted his head up so they were at eye level with each other. “It is not your fault.” Levi affirmed, and saw Armin’s scared blue eyes tremor as the tough-guy façade shattered.

“No…no…no!” Armin cried with frustration, as the thick, heavy tears welled up in the corners of his eyes began to trickle over his dark, long eyelashes to spill over his cheeks in the form of a salty stream. He couldn’t withhold the tears now that he felt safe, and fussed over.

None of his friends had fretted over him in months, especially since they returned from the battle that changed Armin’s life. He had felt abandoned by them, and now here was the Captain, reminding him that the rape was not his fault. Of course the rape was not his fault. And Armin had known that all along, he just needed someone to set him straight, and to give him permission to feel because he did not know how to do that when in the presence of others.

“It’s okay.” Levi assured Armin in a surprisingly clam, and steady voice that neither of them thought he was capable of.  But as reassuring as Levi’s words were, they did nothing to quell the tears that flowed freely down Armin’s face despite his blinking attempts to contain them.

“I…I don’t…I don’t want to do _this_ in front of _you_ …” Armin blubbered, involuntarily coming undone in front of the one man alive that he respected more than anyone else. Levi was humanity’s strongest soldier, and instead of whipping new recruits into shape, or badgering Eren, he was here, making sure Armin did not hold his pain in, nor did he allow him to deny it.

It was the kindest thing Levi had ever done for someone else, and they both knew it.

“Well, you are, and you can blame it on me because if I had done my duty weeks ago, we would not be here now.” Levi commented, and clasped his other hand over Armin’s left hand, the way he had witnessed Erwin do before, in a similar situation.  That simple touch spurred a sense of comfort to awaken in Armin, and allowed him to express emotions he had been withholding.

“It’s not fair!” Armin blurted, voicing his personal feelings about what his life had become since he woke up on that rooftop. His comment sounded childish, even to his own ears, but he couldn’t help but to feel that way because injustice seemed to follow him like a plague. “I didn’t ask you to revive me. I was willing to die for the cause, and then _I_ woke up instead of the _Commander_.” Armin vented, expressing how incredulous he was over the choice that had been made, and forced upon him.  “Why—why would you _ever_ choose _me_ instead of _him_?” Armin asked between heavy, distraught huffs of breath.

“Erwin chose you.” Levi responded simply, keeping a level head even though Armin was raising his voice at him. If Armin had been any other soldier, Levi would not have tolerated the impudence the little soldier was engaging in. Levi had prompted this behavior, and did not regret it. Armin was opening up to him, and that was what needed to happen for Armin to have a chance at being okay. He needed to vent, and he needed to talk to someone since his shitty friends were awol.

“Wh-what?” Armin stuttered, reeling back from the mere thought that someone as intelligent as Erwin would have chosen him of all people to live. Sure, Armin had worked alongside Erwin in the year before the man perished in battle. However, they had never quite became friends. Armin had admired him, and had obeyed commands dutifully, and respectfully. That was all that had ever been between them—Commander, and soldier.

“Did I fucking stutter? Erwin heard the quarrel on the rooftop as he laid there, dying alongside you. I may not understand all of his reasons, but he entrusted you to take over for him.” Levi told Armin, who shook his head with disbelief, and denial.

“Th-that doesn’t make any sense. I am not smart like he was—and I am definitely not strong like him. So I don’t—I don’t understand why he would choose _me_.” Armin protested, knowing he was inferior next to Erwin. Everyone had made it a point to tell him that on a regular, daily basis even before Erwin’s untimely death. Their doubt made his insecurities fester, and spread throughout the deepest recesses of his mind. Levi saw that convincing Armin of the worth Erwin saw in him would be more difficult then he had anticipated, and decided to change tactics.

“He once told me that there would be a day when I would serve underneath you. That time has come. What do you need me to do for you?” Levi consulted, deliberately changing the power dynamic between them to give Armin some confidence. Armin gaped at Levi with shock.

None of Armin’s training could have possibly have prepared him to respond appropriately to the sudden shift of power. Here Levi was, relinquishing his power to lay at Armin’s feet. All because Erwin, humanity’s Superman, once told him to.

“Help me understand why I was chosen to live over the Commander because I think an awful mistake was made.” Armin requested, needing to know that Erwin’s death wasn’t entirely in vain. There had to be a reason he was chosen over the Commander—one he, and others had missed.

“You are not a mistake.” Levi assured him, and saw hopeful curiosity flicker through Armin’s teary, hesitant eyes. Now that he had Armin’s undivided attention, he elaborated on his statement. “Listen. The only reason Hanji is the Commander of the Survey Corps is because you are young. If not for your age, Erwin would have had you take over the entire survey corps. This is how astute you are. Your cleverness, quick thinking, and objectivity are worth more to this army then you know.” Levi explained honestly, determined to help Armin find his sense of worth that had been stolen from him by the cruel world they lived in.

If Levi had been anyone else, Armin would have wrote his kind words off as platitudes, but he had learned early on that Levi was brutally honest, and was not a man who praised others. Levi meant what he was saying—Levi did not lie—maybe he had in the past to survive, but Armin knew him as an honest man. The honesty was probably something he learned from Erwin, who knew how to withhold information. That was the game of politics, and one Armin had been learning from Erwin before he was murdered by that cowardly Beast Titan.

“Then…” Armin began, as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hands, “What can I do to take Erwin’s place on the throne of death?” Armin asked, dawning a determined expression on his youthful, flushed face.

The resilience and determination etched onto Armin’s face was traits that gave Levi confidence that Erwin made the right choice. Armin had been brutally hurt, yet already he was ready to try his best to be of use to the military. Levi pulled his hand away, and wiped the tears off of his pants.

“Understand that what happened was not your fault, and that it had nothing to do with your measure of strength.” Levi informed Armin, since it was vitally important that he understood that bad things happened whether one had strength, or lacked it. Levi had proven that when he raped Floch, who had had strength and yet that strength had not prevented Levi from throwing him over a desk.

“I feel that the Commander never would have been in the position I was in.” Armin admitted, shifting nervously on the couch. He looked away again, because he felt inadequate whenever he thought of the differences between him and Erwin.  

“Erwin had confidence, and when his confidence failed him, he had me.” Levi responded, and then clapped his hand over Armin’s shoulder to regain his attention. “You have me.” Levi reminded Armin, who looked back at him warily. “Now use me to finish the war Erwin started and do not fuck up.” Levi instructed, to reinstate the notion that Armin was now to wield humanity’s strongest weapon against the titans. Armin trembled at the power kneeling before him. He was not sure he was ready to lead the war, let alone play chess with people’s lives.

“Do you really think I can wield you?” Armin pressed, scared he would inevitably fail and let everyone down. If he fucked up, humanity was doomed. That was a lot of responsibility, and pressure for anyone to accept, let alone a sixteen year old boy who lacked confidence in himself.

“Yes. Erwin believed in you. That is enough for me, so do not listen to your peers about what you can and cannot do because those of us who were forged in fire have confidence in you.” Levi assured Armin, who retained doubt in his eyes. Armin set his fists against the edge of the couch and hunched his shoulders with the newfound fear of expectations Levi obviously had of him. “Do not make us regret it.” Levi warned, as he stiffly stood up, rising to his feet.

“I won’t.” Armin declared determinedly as he rose to his feet, wanting to remain on equal grounds with Levi. Reality shot through Armin in the form of pain that raced up his spine, and made him cry out as he crumpled towards the ground. Levi caught him, one hand under his arm, the other firm on the sensual curve of his body.

“Every time you fall, I will catch you because if you fall, we all fall from here on out.” Levi promised, as he helped Armin to stand on his own. Armin gripped Levi’s arm tightly for support, and security as he was helped up, and steadied. He looked up, and realized how close they were to each other. The close proximity to another strong male made him remember the position Levi had seen him in when Floch had him cornered in the closet and flushed red. Armin hastily pulled away from Levi and turned away from him to hide his embarrassment.

“S-sorry…I m-mean…uh…Th…thank you…?” Armin stammered distractedly, wondering just what Levi had seen when he had entered the closet. He wrapped his arms around himself, becoming self-conscious. _How much of me did he see_? Armin fretted, feeling inadequate again because although Levi was short, he still had a body to covet. Armin did not think his thin body and small muscles could compare to Levi’s body and win in a competition.

“You’re hurt. Shower and get some rest.” Levi told him, and headed for the door, confident the conversation went better than he had expected it to. Armin’s low self esteem would be an ongoing challenge to smooth over, but Levi was not afraid of a challenge.

“Oh…right…I’ll get on that.” Armin muttered sheepishly, and followed Levi to the door. He did want to shower, and rest until morning, where he knew he would have to push past the pain that was concentrated in his ass.

Levi opened the door and held it open for Armin, who ducked his head down, to hide his shame. “Wait.” Levi said, and dug his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a small key and offered it to Armin, who halted in his straight path.

“What is that?” Armin asked, hesitantly taking the key from his commanding officer. He squinted at it, noting its odd shape.

“That is the key to the luxury baths. You should be alone, but if anyone does come around to give you problems, direct them to me.” Levi explained, setting his foot firmly in front of the door to keep it open. Armin looked up at Levi with surprised eyes.

“Am I really allowed to go in there?” Armin queried hopefully, since he had heard rumors that the baths for the high ranking officials were private. If he could bathe privately, he could mull over the rape, and Levi’s reassuring words. He could figure out how he felt about everything, and what his new plan would be.

“Yeah. You’re our Mini-Commander. Go relax. You deserve it.” Levi encouraged, as he gestured to the hallway with his arm. Armin nodded in agreement, and stepped past Levi. “But In the morning, come directly to me. I have it arranged that you will have a personal body guard for when I have shit to do.” Levi added, as an after thought.

“Huh? But I don’t—” Armin began, as he looked over his shoulder to Levi, then thought about how easily Floch had taken advantage of him and clamped his mouth shut. If Levi wanted to appoint a body guard to him, Armin supposed that wouldn’t be a problem as long as he could still piss in relative privacy. “I mean…thank you.” Armin stated appreciatively with a small smile spreading across his face. He then headed into the hallway.

“Oh.” Levi muttered, realizing he had one last important thing to tell Armin. “Armin.”

“Hm?” Armin stopped.

“Blame it on me.”


	4. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion to the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is folks, the other fanfic that gets the chopping axe. There was a lot that I had planned for it. I do not have time, nor will to do so. I am not cruel though so I will let you all know what happened.

Floch's Regret

Chapter 4: The End

The quiet morning offered no relief to Levi, who knew the peace was about to end. He was sitting in his office, mulling over the crucial events of the last few months. Erwin’s death weighed heavily on him. He had revered the man as a God for almost as long as he had known him, until the final few moments where Levi realized that Erwin was a man after all. And just last night, Levi realized, perhaps for the first time that other people had been deeply hurt by Erwin’s loss as well.

One of those boys would join him soon. Armin was possibly more tormented by Erwin’s death than Levi was, since Armin was the one who now had to live up to the image of a God. The pressure must be overwhelming, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, Armin had been being bullied and harassed over Erwin’s death.

All of that was about to end today.

_Knock knock knock_. Levi looked up upon hearing the rapping noise on the door. One of the boys had arrived.

“Come in.” Levi invited, already having a good idea of who was behind the door. He watched as the door opened, and Armin tentatively stepped in. He quietly shut the door behind him—Levi appreciated that more than Armin would ever know—and saluted to show Levi the proper respect his position required. Armin didn’t speak—he wouldn’t, not until he was spoken to, and that was another admirable trait of his that Levi appreciated. “Stand down and speak freely.”

“Reporting for duty, Sir.” Armin stated, then lowered his arms to rest at his sides. He was here, bright and early, because his commanding officer had wanted him to be. But not for work. And that made Armin appear nervous. The last thing Armin wanted to talk about was the rape, but he was sure that was the only thing Levi was going to talk to him about.

“Punctual and professionalism are some of your strong suits. Use them and maybe you’ll be respected by your peers in time.” Levi commented and gestured to the couch with a wave of his arm. “For now, sit and tell me if anything hurts.” Levi instructed the cadet. Armin nodded with understanding and effortlessly walked towards the couch and sat down. His cheeks tinted pink for a moment as he recalled how just last night, Levi had spoke to him as if he was a equal, and not just another nameless soldier.

“I healed during the night, Captain. My titan powers have restorative abilities like Eren’s own titan.” Armin answered, left with the psychological after effects of the rape he endured hours ago.

“Speaking of Jaeger, where is your shitty friend? I expected him thirty minutes ago.” Levi mentioned, a bit irritated that Eren hadn’t shown up like he was supposed to. Armin set his hands in his lap, and straightened his back a little, remembering how Levi had told him he needed to stop acting like Armin and be Erwin.

“Actually, Hanji abducted him when she learned that she could not take me. She even said that you could wait for Eren, Sir.” Armin informed his commanding officer, who gritted his teeth with frustration.

“That fucking bitch.” Levi cursed as he stood up from the desk. “Stay here.” Levi instructed Armin, and headed for the door. He barely heard the ‘Yes Sir,’ as he hurried through the hallways, and approached the lab door. Levi ripped the door open, and sure enough, Hanji was all over Eren, touching his arms experimentally in another stupid experiment.

“C-Captain!” Eren exclaimed, saluting instantly upon noticing Levi storm into the room. Hanji whirled around, and before she—he—it could say anything, Levi grabbed a fistful of Eren’s hair and yanked him forwards.

“Fuck off, Cow Eyes. He’s mine today.” Levi stated, as he dragged a grunting Eren to the door.

“Oooh but I was using him!” Hanji protested, in a high-pitched whine.

“I said, fuck off.” Levi snapped, and practically threw Eren into the hallway. Eren gasped and steadied himself. He whirled around to face Levi, and turned just in time for Levi’s fist to connect with his cheek. “That’s for being late, and this is for being a shitty friend to Arlert.” Levi scolded, and kneed Eren in the stomach, which made him hunch forwards. Eren panted, and wheezed for breath.

“What…what are you talking about?” Eren asked between his loud, heavy pained filled breath.

“You’ve always been fist-happy, yet the moment you decide to suddenly act mature is the one and only moment you should have got into a fist fight.” Levi reprimanded, and kicked Eren again, which sent him skidding across the floor.

“Ugh…” Eren coughed, and clutched his sore stomach. “Are you…talking about…Floch?” Eren wondered, trying to think through the pain. “Wait…did…did something happen?” Eren asked, as he slowly picked himself up from the ground.

“Now you’re thinking.” Levi applauded sarcastically, and approached Eren again. Eren flinched back as Levi grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him up. “You’re precious friend was ass raped because you didn’t defend him when he needed you.” Levi informed Eren, while he pulled him along, back to the office. Eren felt the color drain from his face as he heard what had happened to his best friend.

“That motherfucker! I’ll—” Eren began to rage, but his threat was cut short as the wind was knocked out of him. Levi had Eren shoved up against the wall.

“You’ll do fucking nothing because you’re a failure of a friend. I already took care of shit, and from now on, Arlert will have a body guard assigned to him.” Levi warned, and then pushed Eren along again, shoving him towards the office.

“Who?” Eren questioned, frowning at the thought of someone else protecting Armin the way he was supposed to protect him.

“Are you questioning a commanding officer?” Levi wondered, the threat evident in his tone. Eren swallowed hard.

“No Sir.” Eren swore, and stopped at the door. Levi opened it, and pushed Eren inside, none too gently. Levi entered the room, kicked the door shut with his foot and then grabbed Eren once more. Eren didn’t even try to struggle as Levi ushered Eren to the couch, where Armin was perched, and then he threw him down at Armin’s feet.

“Fucking apologize to your friend.” Levi commanded, as he stepped on Eren’s head to keep him on the ground, much to Armin’s horror. Armin sat up straight and shook his head.

“N-no…Eren doesn’t have to do this for me…” Armin meekly protested, mortified at the thought of Eren being lower than him.

“Shut up.” Levi snapped out of habit, and applied more pressure to Eren’s head. Eren groaned at the pain. “Tell him how you decided to be mature at his expense, how if you had just done your damn job as a friend, he would still be a virgin.” Levi demanded, keeping his boot on Eren’s head.

“I’m sorry, Armin!” Eren blurted, and meant it. Levi was right. He should have punched that Floch fuck out when he had the chance. Armin suffered because he didn’t defend him the way a friend should defend their friends. “Fuck, I am so sorry…I should have punched him.” Eren insisted, believing every word. Levi did too, because he lifted his foot up and let Eren get up.

Shame spread across Armin’s face. He hadn’t even wanted Eren to know about the sexual assault, and now Eren groveled at his feet. Armin felt uncomfortable with the shift in power, and withdrew a bit on the couch.

“Ah…it’s not…it’s not your fault…” Armin muttered, clasping his hands together to rest them on his lap.

“It’s not your fault either.” Levi reminded Armin, and headed for his desk. “Sit down, Jaeger. We’re waiting on one more fuckhead.” Levi stated, while he sat at his chair and began to busy himself with the paper work littering the desk. Eren sat down on the couch next to Armin and grabbed his hands.

“Are you okay?” Eren asked, as he looked Armin up and down for signs of injury.

“No…not really…but I recovered during the night.” Armin answered, allowing Eren to touch him. They shared a moment, but when a knock sounded at the door, everything changed.

Floch strode into the room, and that was the beginning of Armin’s nightmare. Levi informed Floch, and Armin that from this day forwards, Floch was going to be Armin’s personal body guard and slave. Floch was to protect Armin from harm, and if Armin wanted food, Floch was to fetch it for him. Armin was horrified. Floch and Eren were pissed. None of the boys were happy about this predicament.

Levi warned Floch in no uncertain terms that if Floch harmed Armin at all, during this time, that he would kill him. Floch tried not to be bothered by the threat, but after the rape from last night, he was a bit perturbed by it.

The only way for Floch to remain in the military was by serving Armin, and that is what he grudgingly did. He wasn’t nice about it. Armin was scared, and guarded whenever Flcoh was near. He hadn’t forgotten what he had done to him. They both hated to be in the other’s presence. Floch still thought that Armin was beneath him, and that he was a poor soldier.

In time, Floch’s perception of Armin began to change. Armin slowly became more secure that Floch might not hurt him—Levi kept Floch in line, and although Eren was gone in a far away land, he dedicated himself to reading every report, and book Erwin had kept in his office. Armin wanted to understand how Erwin’s mind worked, as much as he could, and he would often spend all night and day trying to make sense of strategy books, and reports that Eren sent to them from Marley.

Little by little, Floch saw that Armin was intelligent, and capable of leading them. Floch began to respect Armin, and one day, Floch realized with horror that he was in love with Armin. He made his feelings known in his coarse way. Armin was horrified, and rejected him. The pain of the past was not forgotten. It would never be forgotten. It haunted Armin’s dreams, years later. There was no forgiving Floch, and no budding relationship between them. Never. Armin rejected the very idea.

There was only one person that Armin was interested in romantically, and that was Captain Levi. Armin kept his feelings to himself, deigning to wait until the war was over before he allowed himself to even think of having a romantic relationship with him.

Neither of them could have known that neither of them would survive the war.


End file.
